I hope you enjoy reading this blog half as much as I enjoy writing it for you.Because I have a ball.

Karola

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Books and Movies: We Need to Talk About Kevin

Hi
guys!

Time
flies by, doesn't it? Or is there actually a mechanism that
speeds things up when you have less work and potter
around the house? I hope not! :)

Anyway,
today I would like to share with you a great book that I've recently
read, have been majorlymoved by and have been ravingabout to
everyone who's willing to listen.

This
might not be your type of book, your cup or tea – all
because of the subject matter, which is a little bit
controversial, but I truly hope that
at least one person will find it interesting and give
it a go. The book is
definitely worth it.

We
Need to Talk About Kevin (2003) by Lionel Shriver is a book about
what happens when motherhood goes wrong. It tells a story of
Eva, whose teenage son goes on a killing spree and kills seven
fellow students and two adults. We learn about Eva's past and
present through the letters she writes to her estranged
husband.

The
first-person narrative is what makes fora great read in
this case. Eva is brutally honest and she shares with us events
and emotions that she has been hiding from everyone else for years.
Even though at times she comes across as cold and
heartless, we can't help butsympathise withher.

It's
far less important to me to be liked these days than to be
understood.

motherhood
– macierzyństwo

to
go on a killing spree – mordować (a spree – a short period of
doing a particular activity)

fellow
students – uczniowie tej samej szkoły

estranged
– który pozostaje w separacji (describes a husband
or wife who is not now living with the person they are married to)

to
make for – sprawiać , przyczyniać się do ( to result in or make
possible)

Eva
is a successful travel guide author. She is married to Franklin, whom
she's crazy in love with. She doesn't think of herself as a mother
and finds the whole idea of pregnancy daunting. Then she
realises that all Franklin has ever wanted is to become a father and
she decides to go along with her husband's wish, against
her better judgement.

trying
to be a good mother may be as distant
from being a good mother as trying to have a good time is from truly
having one

daunting
– odstraszające, zniechęcające

to
go along with – zgodzić się, postępować zgodnie z (to agree
with, to support something)

Kevin
is what we call a nightmare baby. He screams and cries all day long.
He scares away every babysitter that comes along and he
refuses to be potty-trained. When he grows up, he turns into a
hostile and aloof teenager that stays bored and
unimpressed the whole time.

We
would surround him with
toys and he would stare at
them or kick one away. He did not play.

“He
pulls my hair,” she said quietly... “He pulls it very hard
indeed. He's old enough now and I think he knows it hurts.

to
scare away – odstraszać

to
come along – pojawiać się (to appear)

potty-trained
– umiejący korzystać z nocnika, a potty – nocnik

hostile
– wrogi

aloof
– wyniosły (describes an unfriendly person who refuses to
take part in things)

to
surround somebody with something – otaczać kogoś czymś

to
stare at – gapić się na coś

THE
LANGUAGE

What
has drawn me to the book is the language. The author has
laced Eva's rants with beautifully intricate
vocabulary. That makes the book suitable for more proficient
readers. If you don't really read too much in English, you might want
to wait a little till you have more experience in reading in English.

to
draw (drew, drawn) – przyciągać (to attract)

to
lace something with something else – dodać, przyozdabiać

a
rant – tyrada

intricate
– kunsztowny (complex)suitable – odpowiednia

THE MOVIE

The
novel by Lionel Shriver has been adapted into a movie. We Need to
Talk About Kevin (2011) directed by Lynne Ramsey stars the
amazing Tilda Swinton as Eva (nominated for a Golden Globe for her
performance) and the spooky-looking Ezra Miller as teenage
Kevin. The movie has been classified as a psychological thriller and
dubbedsuspenseful and spine-chilling. Here's the
trailer:

The Top 100 Language Lovers 2012 competition hosted by the bab.la language portal and the Lexiophiles language blog has started and your blog has been nominated in the category language learning blogs. Congratulations! The nomination period goes until May 13th. Feel free to spread the word among other bloggers writing about languages or to suggest one blog yourself. Please email me so I have your contact details and send you details on the status of the competition and the badge. For further information on the Top 100 Language Lovers 2011 competition, visit http://www.lexiophiles.com/english/top-100-language-lovers-2012-nominate-your-favourite-now

Hi Karola, I have heard recently about this movie that it is worth to see. So I am going to download it. Would you suggest to read the book first? Do you have a comparison? Please advice!Best RegardsCindy

Yes, it's definitely much better to start with the book (be it in English or Polish) and then watch the movie. The movie jumps from Eva's past to her present and then goes back to talk about her past and you might get confused by that if you haven't read the book. Plus, it's always better to know how the characters really feel. The actors are brilliant of course, but the book is still better at describing some internal struggles and emotions.